While everyone is enjoying their pumpkin spice lattes and the changing leaves, buildings around town are already prepping their entrances for winter. It might feel too early to be thinking about snow and sub-zero temperatures—and we don’t mean to dampen your autumn vibes—but thinking ahead can help your automatic doors continue to operate smoothly and safely as the cold weather starts to roll in. So, how can you make sure your building’s entrance is “winter ready” this fall? Keep reading for some easy steps to take.
Benefits of Fall Maintenance
There are a couple of ways you can prep your automatic doors for the winter—you can perform regular checks of your doors yourself and you can get your doors professionally serviced by AAADM-certified techs. Both have their benefits, especially when combined:
Your doors will keep working, no matter what the weather throws at them – The Midwest is known for its wet, windy winters, which can wreak havoc on your automatic doors. By spending time this fall to get things like your sensors checked and calibrated, your door tracks re-aligned, and your push plate batteries replaced, you’re setting your automatic doors up for the best chance of success when the winter weather sets in.
Your budget will thank you – When you take the time to check your automatic doors and get them regularly serviced by professionals, you can catch smaller issues before they turn into big-ticket problems. Door components that might have deteriorated or shifted out of alignment can cause jams that are costly to fix, or they might allow air to seep in or out of the building, increasing your energy bills. By catching and fixing these issues early on, you’re saving yourself from blowing your budget down the road.
You’ll keep your customers comfortable, happy, and healthy – By taking steps to keep your doors working just as well in the winter as they do the rest of the year, you’re prioritizing your customers’ experience and safety. You’re eliminating the chance of your doors not opening when the temperatures drop, reducing the opportunities for cold air to get into the building through gaps in your doors or tracks, and you’re also minimizing the spread of germs and viruses—all by getting your automatic doors tuned up.
How to Maintain Your Doors
So, what are steps you can take on your own to get your automatic doors “winter ready”?
Clear out any debris from your tracks – Your door tracks can easily collect dirt and debris during the fall, from twigs to dead leaves to candy wrappers (it is Halloween season, after all). These obstructions can lead to door jams and can even freeze in the winter, making them even more difficult to unlodge. So make sure to clear out your door tracks on a regular basis.
Keep your doorway clean and clear – Similarly, if the area around your automatic doors is full of debris or heavy/hazardous items, it can lead to issues when the weather gets colder and the winds pick up. By keeping the area by your doors clear of debris and heavy items in the first place, there won’t be anything to get into your tracks and jam up your doors or damage your door frame or glass.
Check your doors for any rubbing, cracks, or wear – It’s a good idea to visually inspect your doors and tracks to see if you notice any signs of rubbing (like your doors rubbing on the ground), cracks or gaps in your weatherstripping/seals, or any other parts that look like they’re hardening or wearing down. If you notice any of these issues, that’s a good time to call in our team of experts to have them make repairs before parts start to break down and turn your perfect fall day into a miserable one.
How Professional Maintenance Helps
Keeping an eye on your automatic doors as the seasons change is a great way to make sure no huge problems pop up, but there’s only so much you can do on your own. That’s where hiring a team of AAADM-certified technicians for a maintenance visit comes in.
During this maintenance check, your techs will give every part of your automatic doors a thorough check—from the sensors to the motor to the tracks and everything in between. They’ll double-check that everything is calibrated correctly, listen for any strange noises, look for any signs of wear, and will clean out your tracks of any debris that may have accumulated. If there’s anything that needs fixing, they’ll let you know and can even take care of certain repairs on the spot. They’ll also ensure that your doors adhere to the latest safety codes, so you know your building’s visitors are secure every time they use your doors. In all, a maintenance check will help keep your automatic doors in prime condition, even when the weather is at its worst.
A great way to stay on top of the changing seasons is to sign up for our ProActive Maintenance Program, which gets you two thorough maintenance visits a year. We’ll help make sure that your automatic doors are at peak performance before the winter, then come back in the spring and check and fix anything that might have been thrown out of alignment by the cold temps and winter winds.
So, while we want you to continue enjoying the beautiful autumn scenery and showing off your cozy sweaters, set aside a few minutes to check on your automatic doors each week as the temperatures start to drop. Then, to make sure your doors are fully “winter ready,” give us a call and schedule your next maintenance visit!